Free Restaurant Waitlist Template or a Waitlist App?
Updated 2 min read
Short answer
A paper or spreadsheet waitlist needs six columns, the guest's name, party size, phone, time added, quoted wait, and status, and it works well for a few parties at a time. Once guests crowd the door or ask "how much longer?", a free waitlist app helps more, because guests can see their place on their phone and are called when their table is ready.
On a busy night, the waitlist is what keeps the door calm. Many restaurants start with a clipboard, and that is fine, as long as the list has the right columns.
A waitlist template that works
Make a table with these columns, on paper or in a spreadsheet:
| # | Name | Party | Phone | Added | Quoted | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Garcia | 4 | 555-0142 | 7:05 | 20 min | Seated |
| 2 | Patel | 2 | 555-0178 | 7:09 | 25 min | Waiting |
| 3 | Kim | 6 | 555-0113 | 7:12 | 35 min | Waiting |
- #: the order guests joined, so no one is skipped.
- Party: so you can match guests to the right table, not just the next one.
- Added and Quoted: the time they joined and the wait you told them. Comparing them tells you whether your quotes are realistic.
- Status: waiting, seated, or left. Cross out rather than erase, so you can see how many walked away.
What a paper waitlist does well
- It costs nothing and needs no training.
- It is quick for a host who knows the regulars.
- It works with no internet.
Where it falls short
- Guests can’t see their place, so they ask the host again and again.
- Guests who step out have to be found, or called on the phone.
- Handwriting is hard to read on a busy night, and parties get skipped.
When a free waitlist app helps
A waitlist app does the same job with less asking. With WaitYa, the host adds a party with one tap, noting the party size if needed. Guests scan a QR and see their place on their phone, so they can wait at the bar or take a walk. When a table is ready, the host presses Call, and the guest’s phone and the TV display show the number and the table. Guests don’t install an app or sign up, and the core features are free. See Taking numbers and printing tickets and Calling visitors.
Put these steps to work with WaitYa
Numbers, a QR for customers, and calls on a TV display. Core queue features are free, with no time limit.